Body Image: What’s the First Thing You See When You Look in the Mirror?

“Without a doubt, my belly! Here I am, a fitness person who’s done countless campaigns over the years and represented some of the world’s leading brands, and still I have this little belly. At first I was obsessed with getting rid of it, but then I realized that I wasn’t going to let this slow me down—that this was just how my body is made. No matter how much I work out, no matter what I do, I’ll never have a six-pack. Not unless I starve myself, and there’s no way I’m doing that. I respect my body way too much for that. But you know what? At the end of the day, I appreciate my body type and maximize the assets I do have. I have a little belly! So what!”

“The first thing I see is my clear skin. I appreciate my good features like that—but I still sometimes cringe at the flab on my arms that doesn’t seem to want to go away. I try not to let the ‘bad’ overshadow the ‘good’ so I can stay confident and happy.”

— Maryam Kazeem, 21, Short Hills, N.J.

“When I look into the mirror, the first thing I notice is my eyes, then my collarbone. It was the first bone I saw again when I lost weight. At the ranch, we didn’t have full-length mirrors—only bathroom vanity mirrors—so it was a way I could gauge my progress. Now I know as long as I see it, I’m good. Sure, I notice the way my inner thighs touch and the stretch marks behind my knees, on the backs of my arms and my abdomen. Or the slightly looser skin that you can’t really see when I stand but you know is there the minute I lie down. Then I smile as I think that my body is a direct example of how I feel. And I feel beautiful!”

—Ali Vincent, first female winner of The Biggest Loser and author of Believe It, Be It: How Winning the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life

“Sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see too-big thighs, a razor-sharp jawline and uneven skin tone—a woman who is never quite pretty enough or good enough. However, as I grow older, these weak moments occur less and less because I am learning more about who I truly am. I am beginning to accept myself as an imperfect, curvy, beautiful woman.”

— Kristine Schanbacher, 22, Omaha

“These days, the first place my eyes go is to my new gray hairs! I think I’m way too young to be dealing with this, and yet, there it is: an inch-thick silvery streak right above my left temple. My husband says he thinks the gray is sexy—and my friends very nicely tell me they hardly notice it because I’m a blond. But I’m not convinced. As soon as I get a couple of hours free, I’m heading straight to the salon and getting rid of it!”

“The first thing I see is a woman and body in transition. After tackling some of my inner demons—yes, self-esteem experts have demons too!—I began taking care of my body in ways I haven’t before. Eating intuitively, exercising more creatively and more frequently, so I take time now to notice the small changes in my body. The muscles in my shoulders coming to life, the clearness of my skin and, of course, the twinkle in my eye that comes from taking loving action on my own behalf. I see a very sexy, sacred and self-loving woman who’s always on a journey.”

—Jess Weiner, self-esteem expert, global ambassador for the Dove Self-Esteem Fund and author of Life Doesn’t Begin 5 Pounds From Now

“I see a few wrinkles starting to peek through. But I see them as wisdom and experience. I see the years of perseverance and drive that have lead me to where I am today—a strong, independent, happy woman.”

—Anna Gonzalez, 32, San Jose, Calif., dance and Pilates studio owner

“I see the words ‘You are beautiful.’ Literally—I actually have a little sticker affixed to my bathroom mirror that I received from a very cool public-art project that asks women and men everywhere to graffiti public places with self-affirming messages. We all have days—even body-image bloggers—where we look in the mirror and our eyes dart to the parts of our body that frustrate us most. For me, it’s my butt. This way, when a mean thought starts creeping into my mind, the sticker is there in the background and helps crowd out the negativity.”

“It sounds kind of funny, but when I look in the mirror, I notice my shoulders first. They’re kind of broad and not particularly skinny, but they’re strong, and through regular workouts and running, they’ve really shaped up over the years. Sometimes, when I’m getting ready in the morning, I’ll even stand there and shrug them up and down and side to side just to see how they look at different angles. I’m no fitness model by any stretch of the imagination, but I like what I see in the mirror. And I always try to focus on what I like best about me. Life’s too short not to!”

“My smile! ‘Put your smile on first. And your pants on last’ is a bit of simple advice my mom gave me. So when brushing my teeth, I always try to smile into the mirror for five seconds or so, especially on disaster days. White foam oozing from your lips? How is that not hilarious?!”